Lawyer Sues Electoral Commission Over Voters’ Register

Post by Stephanie Ekowa

The Voters’ register can be said to have caused more pressure on the Electoral commission (EC). Kwame Boafo, a legal practitioner has filed a suit against the EC over adulterated voters’ register. The suit is however,challenging the eligibility of some names on the voters’ register to be used for the elections come November.

Kwame Boafo who is the plaintiff says the current voters register is bloated and unfit for use hence the EC should not be allowed to use it for this year’s November elections. He filed the case with suit number J1/13/2016 on Friday February 19 and cited the EC and Attorney General (AG) as defendants.

The EC and AG however, have 14 days to respond to the suit after they have been served.

Mr Baffoe, also known as ‘Abronye D.C., is seeking 10 reliefs from the defendants which also include an order compelling the defendants to compile a new and credible national voters’ register. One of the reliefs sought by the plaintiff states

A declaration that, the current national voters’ register compiled by the defendant and intended to be used for the 2016 general elections in Ghana is not credible and hence null and void.”

Although ithe plaintiff is the Brong Ahafo Regional Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), he asserts that he’s making the case independently as a citizen who wishes to act towards his discontent of the decision by the EC to conduct the November elections with the controversial register.

There have been controversies surrounding the voters’ register for the November elections. Abu Ramadan, former National Youth Organizer for the People’s National Convention Party have also filed a suit against the EC demanding that a new voters register be drafted as it contained a lot of ineligible voters.

Mr Baffoe on the same ground have equally filed a suit against the EC. The voters’ register according to him is bloated and fraught with names of ineligible voters such as foreigners and minors.

There have also been claims by Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA), and the NPP who have pressed that the register contained about 76,000 names of Togolese as well as several minors. A two day forum was organised with a five man committee set up by the EC to deliberate on the issues concerning the voters register. But to their dissatisfaction, the panel did not rule out the voters register completely.

‘A declaration that the findings by the five-member committee chaired by VCRAC Crabbe and constituted or formed by the defendant are true reflection of the weaknesses/laws inherent in the current national voters’ register compiled by the defendant and intended to be used for the 2016 general elections in Ghana” another relief also sought by Baffoe reads.